04/01/23

Consistency

on thinking clearly and learning deeply

James Clear talks about the “Seinfeld Strategy” as a way to stay consistent in one’s practice. He goes on to tell the story of software developer and budding comedian Brad Isaac who had the chance to ask Seinfeld about becoming a better comic. Below is how Isaac described Seinfeld’s answer:

He (Seinfeld) said the way to be a better comic was to create better jokes and the way to create better jokes was to write every day.

He told me to get a big wall calendar that has a whole year on one page and hang it on a prominent wall. The next step was to get a big red magic marker. He said for each day that I do my task of writing, I get to put a big red X over that day.

“After a few days you’ll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You’ll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job is to not break the chain.”

Clear goes on to emphasize the subtext in the above message – that Seinfeld did not say a single thing about the outcome. All that mattered to him was to “not break the chain” – to maintain the streak of continuity without interruption. It didn’t matter if the joke was good, or if any of his writing made it into a show. He committed taking one relatively small action every day toward a bigger habit he wanted to cultivate. 

My intention is to think more clearly and learn more deeply. I am a firm believer in writing to think, and to learn – so I will be publishing one essay/thinkpiece/explainer every single day for the next 50 days. The only real objective is to prove to myself that I can do it. 

As a person with lots of aplomb, I’m not afraid to be seen trying or of being “cringe”. My hope is that by throwing myself in the deep end, I will be able to find my voice, sharpen critical thinking skills, and create positive feedback loops through providing value to others, finding community, and eradicating creative resistance. 

I have given myself three rules for this challenge:

1. No TV show binges (outside of weekly episode drops – Succession & Ted Lasso)

2. Share on twitter for accountability 

3. Follow my curiosity

Seinfeld’s consistent commitment to his daily writing practice, without any anticipation of immediate gratification, enabled him to reap unexpected benefits later on – see below how he was able to effortlessly incorporate something he had written about four years prior into a comedic bit.

I would be remiss to not mention the person who initially sparked inspiration for this challenge – my favourite internet strategist, Dulma, who finished her 100 days of podcasting yesterday. 

Or in Kanye’s words, "Lock yourself in a room doing five beats a day for three summers/That's a Different World like Cree Summers"  

See you tomorrow!

This piece is 1/50 from my 50 days of writing series. Subscribe to hear about new posts.